DIY Role Model

1) My biggest role model and mentor is Tessa Blaikie. She promotes positive mental health, talking to youth about reducing the stigma of mental illness and creating a safe place to talk about everyone’s mental health. She works as a Youth mental health promotion worker with the CMHA/Wpg. She has become one of the most important and influential person in my life, as she understands the daily battles and struggles I have to face. She saw my cuts, she saw my scars and she did not stare, she saw me shake and sob, a delusional mess, yet she looked me in the eye and treated me like an equal. Words will never be enough when thanking her for that.

2) I look up to Ellen hopkins for her amazing ability to create stories that I and many other people connect to. She has a powerful way of writing that is unlike any other author I have ever come across. As she touches on certain themes like Addiction, Mental Illness, Religeon and more.

3) Another person who I look up to is Andrea Gibson. She is a Spoken word poet/Activist. Her poetry is focused on gender norms, politics, social reform, and struggles that LGBTQ people face in today’s society.

4) I look up to Demi Lovato for her courage and hope. She is a figure in the media that has battled Bulimia and Bipolar disorder, as well as self harm. I think that her voice is very powerful for young girls and youth today. She has a positive outlook on recovery. Many women in the media are stick thin and do not stray away from that “barbie” look but demi lovato embraces her beauty in all her curves.

5) Lastly, I look up to the late Robin Williams. He always graced the stage with his humble humour and jokes, never failed to make me laugh while having a rough time. His talents in acting will live on forever in my opinion.